Pictures: Springtime Live inspires the next generation

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Ben Barnett

Published:15:52Monday 01 May 2017

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A countryside education came in many forms for families visiting the Great Yorkshire Showground today.

Springtime Live was held in Harrogate by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, where children’s TV act Mr Bloom proved a hit on his return to the popular one-day event in its fourth year.

Springtime Live at Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate. Pictures by Simon Hulme.

The CBeebies character was joined by fellow gardeners from the show’s allotment, while the appearance of another TV star, Julian Norton - aka The Yorkshire Vet - was well received.

Other highlights included real animals to meet and touch, a show trail where children were awarded stamps on ‘passports’ as they completed activities, the story of wool told by pantomime dames and an astrocampus which gave an insight into the night sky.

Show director Charles Mills said: “It’s been a wonderful day, the weather has been rather good to us and the displays here have been marvellous. The smiles on the faces of all the children tell the story.

“Mr Bloom is always very impressive and so was Julian Norton, the vet. I have personally enjoyed walking round and was particularly pleased to see the woodcarvers carving the logo of the Great Yorkshire Show - I was really impressed to see that.”

One of the exhibitors was Yorkshire farmer Roger Hildreth who brought a dairy cow with him and Mr Mills said he hoped young visitors had taken away an important message.

“If they take one thing away with them then I hope that in the case of the dairy cow it is where milk comes from. Our job here is to sell the countryside as a whole and try to explain - as young as some of these children are - that they are our future customers, the importance of where food comes from and why the countryside looks as it does.”

Eighteen-months-old Lucas Quastari pictured with his grandmother Christine Bonnet and a lamb at the show.

Bodhi Hill, aged two, from Halifax pictured by one of the tractors.

Rhiannon Cowling from SMJ Falconry, Haworth holds a Canadian Great Horned owlet.